Crash marker



April 8, 1947. J. DE RUGl-:Rls

CRASH MARKER Filed may 13, 194e "In v1 Patented Apr. 8, 1947 CRASH MARKER John De Rugeris, Atlantic City, N. J., assgnor of one-half to Jack Budnck, Pleasantville, N. J.

Application May 13, 1946, Serial No. 669,349

My invention relates to new and useful im# provements in crash markers and has for an object to provide a relatively small housing or casing, which is to be secured within the fuselage or wings of an airplane, so that should the plane crash or drop into the sea, a weather-proof cover will be released from the casing by the action of the water, after which a buoy or iloat will be forced from the casing and rise to the surface of the water. In turn, from a chamber inthe iloat will be forced telescopic rods, one of which carries a small ilagstaff or signal so that the signal will extend a distance above the buoy or float and be easily ascertainable at quite a distance.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a crash marker wherein a float is normally located in a normally water-tight casing, the oat in Iturn provided with a central chamber, while located in the chamber is a spring to force telescopic rods upwardly, while to one of the telescopic rods is secured a foldable, relatively short ilagstaff together with its nag.

Still another object of the invention is -to provide a crash marker wherein there is located a spring for forcing a iloat from a container, a spring for forcing telescopic rods from a chamber, and a third spring for forcing one of the telescopic rods to its extended position, the latter rod carrying a ilagstai which is foldable, so that the ilag and the flagstaf when not in use -may be housed within the chamber in the float.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a crash marker that is to be used principally on airplanes, although the same may be used in boats or ships with equally as great effect.

` Still another object of the invention is to provide a crash marker that is relatively small in size, so that when installing the marker in the fuselage of an airplanes for instance, only a small circular opening has to be cut in the fuselage, over which opening, of course, will be placed a water-tight cover which is held in place bymeans soluble in water, so that when the crash marker is submerged, the means for holding the cover in place will be released, so .that the float and its associated parts may quickly rise to the surface and mark the spot where Vthe plane or boat has sunk.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain new and novel arrangements and combination of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings showing a pre- 3 Claims. (Cl. 9 9) ferred embodiment and one slight modification,

Fig. 1 is a view partly in section, showing the crash marker as having been releasedufrom its container,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view, showing the crash marker and a fragmentary portion of the fuselage walls of an airplane,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal, sectional View taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, looking in the direction of the arrows,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, sectional View, showing a slightly modified form of cover attaching means, and

Fig. 5 is a detailed front view of the throw-over link for pulling the top cover tightly into position.

Referring now more particularly to the several views, and for the moment to Fig. l, there is shown the cylindrical casing I with its outwardly extending llange 2 at its upper end. This flange 2 is to be fitted about an opening 3 cut in the fuselage of an airplane as fragmentarily shown at 4.

It will be understood that although the crash marker is especially designed for use in the wings or'fuselage of an airplane, it might be used benearth the deck of a `boat or ship, and it will be installed in the same manner so thatwhen theA casing and its cover become submerged, as Will be shortly mentioned, the buoy or float may be released from the container.

Referring to Fig. 2 for the moment, there will be seen a metal cover 5 and a `gasketJ 6 which is interposed between the under surface of the cover 5 and thetop surface of the flange 2. In Fig. 2, I have also shown spaced rivets 'I which will be freely passed through the llange 2, gasket Ii, and fit within openings 8 formed in the cover 5.

The openings 8 in which the rivets 'I fili', are larger than the rivets I and partially filled with a plastic or glue 'I' that is soluble in water to thu-s hold the rivets 1 and the cover 5 tightly to the flange 2 of the container I. Thus, any rain or water on the outside of the cover 5 will in no way affect the inner parts of the cra-sh marker.`

Should the4 container be submerged, however, water passing around the rivets 'I will cause the plastic 4l', holding'the rivets 1in place, to dissolve or disintegrate and allow the cover 5 to be forced from its secured position.

` Referring now for the moment to the modified form for holding the cover 5 shown in Figs. 4 and 5, instead of using the rivets 1, I use the same cover 5, which has several small peripheral lugs 9V which extend through openings I U in the flange 2 of the. container I, and to these lugs 9 are bonded lugs I I Iby a, cement or glue I2 that is soluble in water. On each of the other aforementioned lugs I I is a small headed pin I3 so that a throw-over link I4 may be passed over the same, the throw-over links in turn each being secured to handle-s i5 mounted as at I6 about the sides of the casing I.

'I'here is a gasket I1 between the cover plalte 5 and the rim 2,. and when these handles I5 are thrown over to the position as shown in Fig. 4, the cover 5 will be pulled down and held in position until the bond I2 is dissolved, or until the throw-over links I4 are thrown over by a raising of the handles I5.

I have shown one handle and throw-over link in Fig. 4, but as they are all identical, a description of one is a description of all.

Thu-s it will be seen that Whether the cover 5 is held as shown in Fig. 2, or held as shown. in Figs. 4 and, the action of the water will release the cover 5 with respectl tothe container l.

Referring nowA to- Fig. 2, there will be noticed a box-like inner container `|8 vwith its demountable lid 59. This container I8 is provided. with opposite bearing points 20 to support a cable drum 2| on which issecured `and wound a cable y22. Bearing against thev disks or wheels 23 that-form the opposite ends ofthe cable drum 2| may be seen a spring-24 so as to retard the pay oilV movement ofthe cable drum 2| when the float is released as will be shortly mentioned.

. The lid I9 of the inner container I8 has a central -opening 25 which is mounted as .at-25 so as to present a smooth surface to the cable 22 as it Located on. the lid I9 ofthebox-like inner container I8 may be'seen the. spring 21, which i-s normally under compression, 4and extending therethrough-is thelconicalendfZS ,of the oat 29. At thfeiidof.theconical'portion'l may be seen the e'ye inv which isfastened an .end of the cable 22. It will' be'noticedthat the top surface`3| of thebuoy .presses against .the inner surface of the cover, 5, thus y.holding the 'spring 21 rmly., under compression."

Ihe/bluoy .orfloat v29 is provided with arelativelylongjdepending central .chamber 32, in which'is likewise housed a,y spring 33 which bears against "th`e`head134 of one telescopic rod 35, while itted within this telescopic rod-35 is a further rod, whichnormally holds a spring 31m fthe. telescopic rod l35 Yunder compression.

Tothe topA of the .telescopic rod v33 issecured a iiexible spring-like coupling v33, and to the other end ofthis coupling l38 is ,secured the flagstai .39 .with its .nag or .signal V1MB. By providing this exibie coupling 33, whenthe' two rods 35 and 36 are telescoped or collapsed, the lagstaiIB `may befolded downwardly as shown in Fig. `2 so thatthe flagstaff 3 9and the ag 4 0 may also be housed in the chamber 32 .alongside of the telescopic rods 3 5and` 35.

In .Fjg. 1, there maybe seen a small .flange 4 I' .on.the.top,suriace 3| .of the ioat .29, so that the .telescopic rods 35 ,and 36 may be fitted in position .within the chamber--32 and to hold them inplace .whenintheir extended position.

It `.willfbe 'seen thatthese telescopic rods 35. and 33,-flagstai 33 and flag dil are all normally vf rioused ,within the chamber .32 of the oat Iil.land-take up ,butrelatively little space.

fIVY-Iowever, when the .crashrnarker' comes into operation, that is, when the container is submerged, y the action ofthe .water will .cause either thfe. bond I2 or the plastic -1 to vdissolve .to

thereby loosen the cover 5. At the same time, the spring 21, which is under compression, will force the cover 5 from its position and also start the buoy 29 on its upward movement. In other words, the spring 21 will insure that the float or buoy 29 will clear the container I, after which the buoy or float .23 will continue to rise to the surface.

Also, :when the float 29 is released, the spring 33 will force the larger of the telescopic rods out of the chamber 32, and the inner spring 31 will force the telescopic rod 36 to its extended position, and the spring-like coupling 38 will assume aV straight or Vertical position to thus raise the Flagstaff 33 to its .vertical position.

By utilizing the telescopic rods and iiagstaff, this. signal may be seen `for a much greater distance than if just a buoy or oat were used.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have provided a crash marker that occupies but little space and wherein the cover 5 may be tightly .held in position, but when once released vby being submerged, the float together with its telescopic rods and mast will be forced from the container, and the telescopic rods and flagstai will be made to assume their extended position.

By providing telescopic rods and a -lagstaff foldably secured to the telescopic rods, .all of the parts may be encased in a relatively small chamber.

Many slight changes might be made `without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thusdescribed my invention, whatHI claim as new 'and desire to secure by Letters Patentis:

1. Ina crash marker, a container, .a cover, meanssoluble in water for normally sealingthe cover to .said container, a oat in said container,'.a cable connected to said iioat, spring means normally held under compression bearing against said float, said oat provided with a central hollow chamber, a spring in said chamber, telescopic rods in said chamber and bearing and agstaff normally housed in a collapsed position in the chamber in said float, whereby when the said cover is liberated by beingsubmerged, the oat will be forced from said housing, and the telescopic rods ,and flag'staff will be forced from said chamberA and assume an extended position.

"2. In a crash marker, a container, a cover, means soluble in Iwater for normally Ysealing the cover to said container, a oat in said container, a drum having a cable connected to said float, a brake for retarding the movement of saidrcable drum, spring means normally held under compression by said float, Ysaid flQLtpovided with a central hollowcham'ber', fa spring in lsaid Chamber, telescopic rods'tted-in chamber and bearing against said last mentioned spring, a further spring in'one of saidtellescqpic rods, a foldable agstai secured to one ,ofvsfaid telescopic rods, said telescopic rods and agista'f normally heldinu a collapsed position in uthe chamber, the flagstai bearing against the inner surface of vsaid cover, whereby Vwhen'the said cover* is liberated by submer'sion, thenf'loat willb'e mechanically forced'from said housing .and the telescopic rods and flagstaff will be forcedvfrom the said chamber and will assume anextended position,

3. In a crash marker, a container, a cover, means including a bond soluble in Water for tightly forcing the cover on the container and normally holding the same in a sealed condition, a. float in said container, a drum having a cable connected to saidl float, a brake for retarding the movement of said cable drum, spring means normally held under compression by said float, said oat provided with a central hollow chamber, a spring in said chamber, telescopic rods 10 an extended position.

tted in said chamber and bearing against said last mentioned spring, a further spring in one JOHN DE RUGERIS. 

